I notice one of you guys claimed this to be your favourite blues lyric so maybe you can explain what it means?
Is it a traditional US/Southern expression that actually has nothing to do with wildlife at all? Or is it a popular pastime in the States, a bit like feeding the ducks over here in England? I have a friend way down in Alabama actually, and I asked him about this months ago. He calls himself a blues man, but he'd never heard of the song...

We were playing at a club the other nite. One of the guys in the band was hitting on a fine little gal that was working in the club. Now he's around 45 years old and she didn't look "A minute over seventeen" (I couldn't resist that line)tks chuck!

Ok she was in her early 20's. We finished up at 12 o'clock and my friend asked her if she wanted to get together after the gig. She says "yeah, why don't we go to "The Studio" (which is a young dance club) So they hook-up and head on over to the dance club. Where he spends most all the money he made buying her drinks. At nites end, she cuts out the side door with a "Young Stud" and leaves my buddy scratching his head.

This is a classic example of "I ain't fattening no mo' frogs for snakes"

lol...when i first saw the subject i thought it said "FLATTENING frogs for snakes"! As an ex-snake owner i couldn't figure out why anyone would need to flatten the frogs before feeding them to their snakes!

Too Bad So Sad but what goes around comes around. I'm sorry that was mean and yet the story is still making me smile. A lot. And there's nothing like an older man trying to get some that makes a young girl take advantage. It's justice.

Time Wounds all Heals. Oh, that is just too good to be true. I have something to tell all my girlfriends. The last thing that was shared with me was "I refuse to lower my standards to raise your self esteem." That could apply to a band situation.

Anyway Rookie, a good place to start if you want to know the meaning of the phrase "fattening frogs for snakes" would be with the song lyrics themselves. It's by Sonny Boy Williamson and is easy to find on the Web:

It took me a long time, to find out my mistakes
Took me a long time, to find out my mistakes
But I bet you my bottom dollar, I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes

I found out my downfall, back in nineteen and thirty
I found out my downfall, from nineteen and thirty
I'm tellin' all of my friends, I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes

Yeh it is nineteen and fifty-seven, I've got to correct all of my mistakes
Whoa man, nineteen and fifty-seven, I've got to correct all of my mistakes
I'm tellin' my friends includin' my wife and everybody else,
not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes

If your friend from Alabama calls himself a Blues fan and has never heard of the song, I highly recommend rushing out and getting a Sonny Boy Williamson collection immediately. Sonny Boy was, in my opinion, one of the greatest Blues lyricists ever. His wicked wit and love of language is showcased in many of his compositions such as Your Funeral and My Trial, Don't Start Me Talkin', Help Me and Nine Below Zero.

>Sonny Boy was, in my opinion, one of the greatest Blues
>lyricists ever.
Amen to that! Especially on the song we're all talking about. "Ninety Nine" is fantastic too. Well.. I mean, they're all good. But those stand out at the moment.
He's a great singer too. Not much of a range, but since when has that mattered? The man could phrase..
Jim
http://www.soundclick.com/jimnjblues

Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha Ohh man this is really funny. An entire post and only Nizer will tell you look at the lyrics for the answer. Then the first poster uses the wrongful act itself to illustrate the problem, but instead of using the frog, he shows the lost prize as a "soon to be lounge lizard". The lizard is probably fatting a frog or two along the way also, so as far as just-us, Lori-Lu, it don't look like you have seen enough of the pond, or you may only be looking from 1 side of the lilly pad.

The song "might" be talking about doing a good woman wrong and being too blind to see "who's makin'luv to your ole lady, while you was out making luv". Ahh-huh, It's about lending the keys to the kingdom
somebody else and finding out, they have changed the lock.

And oh-yeah, women gets to sing the blues too, equal opportunity thing, sure as sh-t! So what goes around....!
Ain't no use of crying, after you leave yo baby, all by himself.
He done got another woman and now you're a-lone up on the shelf!

So the frog is a good women or man who's love is being taken for granted, this leaves the frog alone in the pond, "jus a lil too long!"

Anyway the snake is just a "snake", and he or she's just looking for a tender morsel, jus a "lil sumthin" to claim as it's own, maybe just for a little while to help get through the "chill" of winter or maybe the snake just learned something when the tables got turned on him and is the one singing the song.

This is about the blues, and singing the blues, so get the story straight, because drunks in the audience carry straight razors and they ain't afraid to knock a little bark of your a..!